Preon 2 accident

Hey folks,

I had an incident with my Preon 2 a few weeks ago that I think might be a good question to pose on CPF. Totally blanked out and left my Preon in the cargo pocket of my jeans- the result was that the light went through the washing machine and dryer. To my surprise the light still seems to work fine, couldn't find any water inside, however the lens has a few tiny water marks which I presume might be from condensation forming inside the bezel then drying up( just a guess). Anyways, out put still seems to be ok, but I'm wondering if this event might have caused any damage to the emitter or the electronics due to the harsh environment and heat inside the dryer. Could I safely assume it was a non incident and forget about it since everything seems ok?

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If it were me ... I'd open it up and let it air-dry a few days before using it .

Give any moisture in there a chance to evaporate while opened up .

I hope you washed it on " Delicate" .

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I might add that packing it (opened up) in dry rice might also be useful.

You could also look at placing the light on the top of a warm device like a TV or whatever for a few days to 'bake out' the moisture in the light.

If you wiped away the water marks then, you don't need to do anything with the light. It's fine! If the 'water marks' were on the inside, a hair dryer works.

Sounds to me like maybe the dryer already took care of the water and the spots are the residue, yes?
If so then you would have to open the head to clean the spots off the inside of the glass.
Or ignore it and keep going.... I'm not sure how tough it is to open one.

It seems to have come through unharmed, with only minor watermarks or condensation left over which is pretty harmless.

At the same time it never hurts to be sure, to I would look to doing something like putting it (with all pieces separated) in a sealed container with dry rice or silica packs somewhere warm for a day or two - the rice or gel will draw out any moisture left over to try and prevent any future problems.

INtersting, I'd never thought of silica or dry rice, but that's definitely useful. Is it possible to open the preon heads?

Adapt directions to suit:

Link

Surely this was not an accident, but instead you were simply testing the waterproofing and durability of the light, which appears to have passed.

I'd just stick a silica gel packet in the battery compartment like how they ship nitecore products.

What % rubbing alcohol do you think they suggest?


Alex

QUOTE=climberkid;3838363]What % rubbing alcohol do you think they suggest?


Alex[/QUOTE]


Should it be rubbing alcohol .... or de-natured alcohol ... does it matter ?


Which one would leave less residue or greasy film when it evaporates ?


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They say rubbing alcohol, probably because most homes are likely to have it. It's typically 70% Isopropyl alcohol. I have found that it leaves a thin residue on sensitive components, and try to avoid it - except for medical purposes.
I get the 99% Isopropyl from my local electronics store for cleaning flashlights, tape heads, circuit boards, glass, electrical connectors, etc - as well as for removing stickers and sticky residue.
It's best to check first to make sure it won't damage any plastic or rubber components in the device, or remove the finish.
It isn't generally as harsh as acetone, but will damage certain types of o-rings, can remove some paints, and blurs clear acrylic.
I've never had a problem cleaning my SureFires or JETBeams with it, but haven't put it any my Preon yet.
Good luck!

TooManyGizmos said:

Should it be rubbing alcohol .... or de-natured alcohol ... does it matter ?


But any way ...... they must mean full strength . ( not a % )

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Click to expand...

I was thinking it had to be at least 90% isopropyl to not damage anything.

Edit: should have scrolled down one more post. Thanks brick!
Alex